“Every Elder song goes through several mood shifts; I don’t want our music to be one-dimensionally gloomy. There’s always an arc in the songs that follows the hero’s journey, where you have conflict and resolution.” With this statement, Elder founder Nick DiSalvo explained his creative philosophy in an interview with Phil Weller in issue no. 170 of PROG Magazine. After releasing Innate Passage in 2022, Elder entered a four‑year stretch without a new album. DiSalvo, feeling burnt out, stepped away to explore new territory through his solo project Delving, releasing the albums Hirschbrunnen and All Paths Diverge.
Now, Elder return revitalised, and Through Zero arrives like a thunderclap. Released on Stickman Records in Europe and on Blues Funeral Recordings in the States, the album stands as a towering achievement, a declaration that the band is not only back but pushing harder than ever. The record keeps listeners on edge with sweeping keyboards, looming sonic storms, and a sense of perilous momentum that pulls you right to the cliff’s edge.
Elder have long resisted being boxed in as merely a doom band. Through Zero reinforces that refusal, branching into new textures while preserving the band’s progressive backbone. The heavy riffs remain, but they’re woven into a tapestry of experimentation and restless creativity, the true heartbeat of this Massachusetts‑born group. The title track’s fierce guitar textures evoke the spirit of Italian prog, tasting unmistakably of the 1970s and tilting like a cosmic Pisa tower across a surreal landscape.
‘Capture/Release’ opens with a post‑apocalyptic ambience, channeling a Vangelis‑like nod to the Blade Runner score through its shimmering synthesisers. As the track ascends, guitars and drums ignite, propelling the listener into a distant 35th‑century horizon, its blistering attacks reminiscent of the wild, illustrated worlds of Heavy Metal magazine’s Druillet era.
‘Strata’ dives into electronic wonder, blending post‑rock and new wave influences from the late ’70s and early ’80s. Its riffs remain muscular, but the synth‑driven arrangements elevate the track into an epic battleground. Meanwhile, opener ‘Sigil to Ruin’ begins with Berlin School‑style drones before erupting into metallic bass lines and tidal‑wave drumming, forging ahead into unknown danger.
Throughout the album, Elder embrace strange sonic experiments, as if unveiling creations from a secret laboratory. ‘Sight Unseen’ unfolds like a cinematic voyage, echoing Kubrick’s 2001 with its spacious atmosphere. The track carries the torch of early Pink Floyd, before Dark Side, yet with a more forceful, layered guitar presence. Hints of Kosmische Musik drift through the mix, merging with post‑punk energy and even touching the spirit of Agitation Free’s 2nd and Hawkwind’s hyperspace propulsion.
The album closes with ‘Blighted Age’, a finger‑picked acoustic piece that offers calm after the storm. Its ghost‑town stillness feels like wandering through the ruins of a once‑thriving city, now frozen in time. After the intensity of the first five tracks, this final moment of quiet reflection lands with haunting clarity.
Elder step boldly Through Zero, refusing to retreat or soften their vision. This is an album built for deep listening, an odyssey of sound that will be discussed for months and years to come. Its blend of cosmic heaviness, progressive ambition, and cinematic atmosphere transforms the record into something like a planetarium experience: immersive, hypnotic, and radiant with surreal beauty. Elder have not only returned, they’ve expanded their universe, inviting us to travel with them into the unknown.
